


Starting Over

by IsolaVirtuosa



Series: Starting Over [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Longing, M/M, Post Boruto the Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24753592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsolaVirtuosa/pseuds/IsolaVirtuosa
Summary: Naruto's living the dream, but whose dream is it?
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Starting Over [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790059
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	Starting Over

I leaned back into my chair, surveying the piles of paperwork still covering my desk.

“Ughhh,” I groaned, resisting the urge to sweep the desk clean with a well-placed rasengan. A glance at the clock told me that it was past dinner time, so Hinata and the kids had probably already eaten without me. I sighed, kicking my desk petulantly. “Ow…” I muttered.

There was a knock at the door, and I quickly put on my hokage face.

“Come in,” I said, picking up the closest document to my hand and pretending to study it.

“Excuse me, Hokage-sama,” Konohamaru said, bowing as he entered. “I’ve brought you some records from the accounting department that need your signature.”

“Leave them on the desk,” I said, gesturing towards the already towering pile of papers awaiting my signature. I pretended to be deep in thought, projecting a general sense of hokage-ness as Konohamaru added the papers to my stack. I refrained from screaming and throwing the papers back in his face.

Konohamaru was of course suitably impressed. “Naruto-niichan, you’re amazing! You work so hard all day and night just to keep Konoha safe.”

I waved off the compliment with an imperious gesture, keeping my eyes focused on my document despite having no idea what said document was even about.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to your work,” he said, giving me another bow as he left.

I gave it a few seconds before heaving out a sigh and dropping the document back on my desk. “Graaaaah!” I exclaimed, shoving the papers to the floor in a sudden fit.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to eat whatever delicious thing it was that Hinata had made. I wanted to play with Boruto and Himawari, and then I wanted to sleep. For hours. And hours. In a row. Just sleep.

Instead, I was trapped in my office with a never-ending supply of menial requests awaiting my approval. It wasn’t like we were at war. It wasn’t like there were any uprisings or fights or threats or anything of remote interest going on. Did it really matter if I signed off on a new soap delivery to the hospital today or tomorrow?

Probably not. But if I didn’t sign it today, then the pile would double or triple by tomorrow.

I resigned myself to another boring late night in the office.

I was sleeping on my desk when a knock startled me awake. A pile of papers went crashing to the floor, and I flailed uselessly at them, unable to stop their descent.

“Hokage-sama,” Shikamaru said, sticking his head in the door.

I stopped mid-flail, grinning at him sheepishly. Shikamaru was one of the few people in Konoha that knew I wasn’t half as together as I pretended to be, mostly on account of him coming into my office all the time without waiting to be invited in.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak, and then I felt it, that old, familiar chakra tingling along my skin. I was already heading to the door when his words finally reached my ears.

“Uchiha Sasuke was seen heading towards the village.”

I started off at a quick walk, which escalated into a run, and then full-on rooftop jumping until I reached Sakura’s house.

“Sakura-chan!” I called, banging on the door. I threw it open without waiting, kicking off my shoes and stepping up into the house.

The door to the living room opened, and Sarada stood there, looking taken aback at my sudden appearance.

“Hey, there, Sarada-chan,” I said, clamping down on my excitement and putting my hokage face back on.

“Lord Seventh,” she said, bowing politely. We were still getting used to being in one another’s lives since the battle with the Ootsutsuki Clan.

“Oh, Naruto, that was quick,” Sakura said, appearing from out of the kitchen. She rested a hand on Sarada’s shoulder. “Why don’t you finish setting the table for me?”

Sarada nodded and quickly moved into the kitchen.

“Is he here yet?” I asked, glancing around from side-to-side.

“Not yet,” Sakura said, smiling at me. “Have a seat, Hinata’s bringing the kids over.”

I attempted to sit, but found that I needed to be on my feet and moving, filled with excessive energy.

Sakura was the same, moving through the rooms of the house, cleaning and adjusting and fussing when really no cleaning, adjusting, or fussing was necessary.

Sarada tried to look disinterested, but the same energy was buzzing through her.

When the sound of the front door opening reached our ears, all three of us scampered to the entryway.

Sasuke looked up from removing his shoes.

“Welcome home,” Sakura said, grinning.

“Dad,” Sarada said, trying to play it cool and failing miserably, running to her father and attaching herself to his waist.

Sasuke patted her on the head, sliding out of his other shoe and stepping into the house. “I’m home,” he said to Sakura.

Sakura’s smile softened, and she touched Sasuke’s arm gently as he passed by, Sarada still attached as he went.

I hated to intrude on such a touching family scene, but some things needed to be said. “Where the hell have you been, bastard?”

“Here and there,” Sasuke said vaguely.

I frowned at him. “You should report back properly to your hokage.”

“Moron,” Sasuke said, smacking my shoulder with his stump.

I tried to look affronted, but I couldn’t help but grin.

Our arms were still touching.

Then there was a knock at the door, so I went to answer it, knowing that it would be my own family.

We all gathered around the table, Sakura pouring tea and Hinata passing out dessert.

It was familiar to the point of predictability, a repeated scene that had taken place every time Sasuke had come home since the defeat of the Ootsutsuki Clan. Sakura and Hinata took care of everyone, Boruto and Sarada tried to put up their best fronts while covertly sniping at one another, Himawari glued herself to my side, and Sasuke and I bickered until we got drunk.

Boruto ended up staying up with the two of us past his bedtime, lingering between Sasuke and I as we poured each other drinks.

I was in the middle of drunkenly telling Sasuke how much of a better drinker I was than him when Boruto finally spoke up. “Are you stronger than my dad?”

“Hell no he isn’t!” I protested before Sasuke could get a word in.

“That has yet to be determined,” Sasuke said, picking up the sake bottle and pouring some into my empty cup.

“Whaddya mean?” Boruto asked.

“I won the last fight,” I said, glaring at Sasuke.

“You said we’d fight again,” Sasuke said, tilting his head suggestively, like we should settle things here and now in his living room.

“I’ve been kinda busy and you’ve been kinda not around,” I accused.

“I know,” he said quietly, eyes slowly meeting mine.

I felt my chest tighten.

We both fell silent.

“I bet you could kick my dad’s ass!” Boruto declared suddenly.

Sasuke smiled, but there was something dark about it. “Yeah, I could.”

“Oh, really, jerkface?” I asked, feeling rankled that 1) Sasuke was still a superior bastard who thought he could beat me, and 2) my son liked the superior bastard better than me.

“Let’s go, Naruto.”

Hearing my name roll off of his lips always made me tingle a little. I tried to ignore it and look sufficiently threatening and hokage-like. “What did you have in mind, Sas’?”

Sasuke rested his elbow on the table, palm open.

I grinned, inching closer and resting my own elbow on the table, entwining our fingers.

Boruto seemed delighted by this turn of events, getting between us and staring at our hands.

“You start us off, buddy,” I told Boruto, tousling his hair with my free hand.

Boruto nodded excitedly. “Ready… set… go!”

Thirty minutes later saw Boruto curled up in the crook of Sasuke’s arm, asleep. Sasuke was sipping his sake and smirking, pleased with his victory.

“It was my bad arm,” I muttered.

“Pathetic.”

I thought about giving Sasuke a rasengan to the face, but I risked hurting Boruto.

“Naruto.”

I stared at Sasuke petulantly. “You could at least address me by my proper title,” I said, even though I actually found it very pleasing every time Sasuke called me by my name.

“Hokage-sama,” Sasuke corrected himself.

I bit my lip, taken by surprise. “I think I just came a little.”

Sasuke let out a surprised bark of laughter, then quieted down, casting a glance at Boruto who was still sleeping. “I didn’t mean to turn you on, Hokage-sama.”

“Stop that,” I said, my face burning with embarrassment.

“You’re the one who wanted to be called by your title, Hokage-sama.”

“Jerk,” I muttered, staring at the floor.

Sasuke stayed thankfully quiet, allowing me to recover my dignity.

“What were you going to say before?” I asked when I’d finally composed myself.

“Nothing really,” Sasuke murmured, pouring me more sake.

“Don’t be like that,” I said, giving him a light push.

Sasuke leveled me with a sour look.

I smiled winsomely at him.

His eyes slid up my body, and when his eyes met mine again he was smiling back at me, slow and easy.

I swallowed.

The door slid open, and we looked away from one another guiltily, as though we’d been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to.

“The girls are asleep,” Sakura informed us, hefting three futons into the room like they weighed nothing.

Hinata followed her, looking like she wanted to help but not really sure how to.

“Hinata and I will sleep in our room,” Sakura informed Sasuke. “Do you want Boruto to stay with you two, or he can come with us?” she asked, now directing the question in my direction.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Sasuke was already saying, “He can stay with us.”

“Okay,” Sakura said, laying out the three futons.

Hinata hovered nearby, trying to help.

Sasuke glanced at Boruto, still sleeping at his side, and picked him up carefully with his good arm, carrying him over to one of the futons and laying him down. “Poor kid, he looks just like you,” he murmured glancing at me.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I growled.

Sasuke shook his head, smoothing Boruto’s hair and looking at my son in such an affectionate way that it twisted something in my gut.

Sakura gave Sasuke the saddest look, then turned around abruptly. “You two don’t stay up drinking too late,” she warned, her tone cheerful but with a threatening undertone.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, saluting her.

Sasuke went back to the table without a word, picking up his cup and drinking more.

“Good night,” Hinata said to me after pressing a kiss to Boruto’s forehead.

“Good night,” I said, smiling at her.

Hinata and Sakura disappeared back into the main house, closing the door behind them.

“Let’s go outside,” Sasuke said, getting a new sake bottle and picking up his cup.

I followed him out to the porch, and we sat outside, listening to the cicadas and feeling the warm breeze bring slight relief from the endless heat of summer.

“Sas’, I’m bored,” I said, knocking his stump with my wrapped arm.

“Can’t you ever just sit quietly and appreciate the moment?”

“No.”

“…why do I waste my time with you?”

“’Cause I’m your best friend,” I said with a grin.

“You are not.”

“Am too.”

“Are not.”

“Am too,” I insisted.

“Did you develop at all after the age of twelve, or did you just enter some kind of state of suspended animation?” he scowled at me.

“Huh? Was that an insult?”

“Over your head, Naruto.”

“No…”

“Just shut up and drink.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk, Sasuke?”

“You’re already drunk, stupid.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not!” I declared, downing the sake in my cup like a shot. It went straight to my head, making me dizzy.

“Are too,” Sasuke murmured, resting his head on my shoulder.

About then I realized how drunk Sasuke was. “How about you, lightweight?”

“You cheat,” Sasuke mumbled, his voice sounding lethargic. “You and the damn fox…”

I couldn’t deny that Kurama helped by breaking down the alcohol in my system quickly, so instead, I just patted Sasuke on the head. “Whatever, drunky.”

Sasuke growled some kind of response, but his breathing was getting steadier and heavier.

“Good night, Sasuke,” I murmured, my fingers lingering in his hair.

Sasuke didn’t answer, already asleep.

I sat there for a while, sipping at my sake and feeling content.

I finally nudged Sasuke awake and helped him stumble over to one of the futons. I lay down between him and Boruto, falling asleep quickly.

_“Wake up!”_

My eyes shot open. Sun was pouring into the living room. Boruto was still snoring on my left, Sasuke asleep at my right.

I sat up, rubbing my hands through my hair. I finally got up, moving to the kitchen where the girls were sitting and drinking tea.

“Good morning,” Hinata said, smiling up at me.

“Morning!” I said in an overly cheerful way.

“Did you leave Sasuke’s liver in one piece?” Sakura asked, getting up and pouring me some tea.

“Sas’ is fine,” I said, taking the tea. “Probably.”

Sakura had that sad look on her face again.

Before I could say anything, she was back to smiling, talking to Hinata about some picnic the two of them had planned to have later in the day.

“Am I invited?” I asked, perking up at the thought of spending the day with the kids and Sasuke at the park.

“Don’t you have a job?” Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I stuck out my lower lip.

“You’re already late,” Hinata reminded me gently.

My lip stuck out further.

“Why don’t you go in for a few hours and then join us for lunch?” Hinata suggested.

I beamed at her.

“Laziest hokage in history,” Sakura muttered.

“Hey, I’m a great hokage!” I protested.

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” Sakura said, poking me in the cheek. “I’m sure Sasuke would be very happy if you joined us. Well, his version of very happy.”

“Okay, I’ll get everything I need to get done and meet you at the park!” I said, pasting a kiss on Hinata’s cheek. I dashed off to the office without so much as brushing my hair or washing my face.

Shikamaru followed me into the office. “Drinking with Sasuke?”

“You betcha,” I said, taking a seat at my desk. “What do I have to get done today?”

“Well I canceled all your meetings, which I might add was incredibly annoying, and I strongly suggest you take a shower.”

“Shikamaru, my man, you are the greatest ninja that ever lived,” I said. “Besides me. And my dad. And-”

“Yeah, whatever,” Shikamaru said. “I’m surprised you even showed up today.”

“I have a work ethic.”

“If you say so…”

I sighed, eyeing all the papers on my desk. Then I formed a seal, made a bunch of clones, and started signing. Work breezed by. I hadn’t been this productive since… the last time Sasuke came back to visit…

I didn’t linger on that thought too long, finishing up my work and speeding off to the park.

Himawari attached herself to my side the moment I arrived. I slid my arm around her shoulder, trying to remember what it was that was so important that I couldn’t spend more time with my little girl who meant the world to me.

Sasuke was teaching Sarada and Boruto how to start a fire without chakra. The both of them stared at him in awe like it was some kind of impressive feat.

I wondered what was so important that it kept Sasuke away from his little girl.

Our eyes met and I quickly looked away.

The day passed like a dream, like it was everything I could possibly want. I found myself in our kitchen, idly drying dishes while Hinata washed up the remains of our picnic.

“It was so nice having you with us today.”

“Huh?” I said, head snapping around towards her. “Oh, yeah. It was fun.”

“I haven’t seen Boruto smile at you like that in a while,” Hinata said softly.

I grinned at her. “Yeah, it’s almost like he doesn’t hate me anymore.”

“Of course he doesn’t hate you,” Hinata said, shaking your head. “He just misses you.” She hesitated, then continued, “We all miss you.”

I touched her arm gently. “I’m right here.”

“I know,” Hinata said, turning away with a blush. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” I prodded gently when she didn’t continue.

Hinata shook her head. “You’re different…”

“Huh?”

“When Sasuke’s here. You’re different. It’s like you’re finally you again.”

“But I’m always me?” I said, scratching my head.

Hinata shook her head again, smiling a sad smile.

“Hey…” I said, wanting to cheer her up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hinata said, putting the milk back in the fridge. “The kids were so happy to be with you today.”

“I was happy, too,” I said, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

I expected that to cheer her up, but Hinata smiled that sad smile again.

Later that night found Sasuke and I inebriated on his porch again.

“Never have I ever impregnated Hinata,” Sasuke said blandly.

“That’s cheap, bastard,” I muttered, taking a shot. “Okay, never have I ever… uh… er…”

“You suck at this game, Naruto.”

“I do not! Just give me a sec, okay?”

“I’ll give you as many seconds as you want, and you still won’t come up with something.”

“Just because I’ve taken… ten…?”

“Twelve,” Sasuke corrected.

“Twelve shots to your… one?”

“Yes, one.”

“…one shot… It just means I have more life experience than you.”

“‘Never have I ever kissed a dog’s butt,’” Sasuke said, reminding me of my first attempt at the game. “Why would you think that I would have ever done that? Why would anyone, besides you, ever do that?”

“I said I never did it!”

“I think you’re lying.”

“I never kissed a dog’s butt!”

“Hn.”

“Probably…”

Sasuke cracked a smile.

I smiled, too. “You look good when you smile.”

“Dumbass,” Sasuke said, pushing me away from him.

“Sasukeeeee,” I whined, tackling him into a bear hug.

“Get off of me,” Sasuke growled, but he didn’t try very hard to push me away again.

I kept my grip on him, resting my chin on his shoulder. “Never have I ever… um…”

“God, just think of something that you know I’ve done that you’ve never done. Like, ‘never have I ever used the sharingan.’ It’s not fucking rocket science.”

“Oh, that’s good. Yeah, that one.”

“No, you have to think of something on your own.”

“But I want to use the sharingan one.”

“Use your great hokage brain and think of something else.”

“Mm, it is a pretty great brain.”

“Then think of something.”

“Never have I ever… uh… oh! Never have I ever seen Orochimaru naked!”

“Why the hell would you think I’ve seen Orochimaru naked?”

“Because it’s _Orochimaru_. He just seems like the kind of person you’d see naked.”

“You’re stupid,” Sasuke said, picking up his glass and downing a shot.

“Then why are you drinking?!”

Sasuke remained silent, staring out into the yard.

“You saw him _naked_!” I shrieked in horror.

“Go to hell.”

I laughed into his shoulder, clutching at the folds of his shirt. “Oh my godddddd…” I finally gasped out. “Was it… I mean… oh my goddddd…”

“Stop.”

I could tell Sasuke was embarrassed, seeing the tell-tale tinge of red at the tips of his ears despite his stoic countenance. “So was this a bath-time situation, or was it something I should be concerned about?” I asked, unable to let it go. When it came to Sasuke, I was never going to grow up.

“Never have I ever been a stupid asshole moron kyuubi vessel.”

“I am neither stupid nor an asshole-” I tried to protest.

“Drink.”

I kept my left arm wrapped around Sasuke, using the other to pick up a shot. “That was under protest,” I said, setting the glass down after I emptied it with a little shake of my head. Kurama helped me process alcohol more quickly, but I’d taken a lot of shots in the last hour and I was definitely feeling the effects of it.

“It’s your turn,” Sasuke said, turning to look me in the eye.

With my cheek pressed to his shoulder, I suddenly realized how close we were.

Sasuke seemed to have the same realization, becoming unmoving like a statue.

My breath caught in my throat, and I was filled with an intense longing that I couldn’t understand. “Sasuke…” I said softly.

“What?” he said. It almost seemed like he was nervous, but it must have just been the alcohol clouding my brain.

“I…” I started. What was it that I was about to say? “Stay,” I finally breathed out.

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, sounding pained.

“Look, I know you want to do your shadow hokage thing all out in the world and crap,” I rushed on, not wanting to hear what I knew was the inevitable response. “But we need you here. I need you here. I… you…”

Sasuke was biting his lower lip, looking conflicted.

“You’re… you’re my best ninja,” I said, because that seemed like a reasonable explanation for why he should stay. “You’ll serve Konoha better here, you know, actually in Konoha.”

Like always, it was the wrong thing to say.

Sasuke shrugged me off of his shoulder, picking up a shot glass. He threw his head back, downing the shot, then slammed it down in front of him. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

I stared at him aghast. “You just got here.”

“And now I’m leaving.”

“But-”

“There’s no reason for me to stay.”

“Uhhh, your wife and daughter are two pretty big reasons.”

“I can protect them better out there.”

“The world is peaceful…”

“There are always insurrections.”

“Uh, not lately.”

“You don’t know what I see out there.”

“Yeah, ’cause you never report in to me, you stupid bastard.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

I stared at him long and hard.

Sasuke flinched, reaching out subconsciously to touch his stump.

I felt like I was winning.

“It’s better when I’m not here,” Sasuke finally said.

“What the hell are you talking about?! Nothing is better!”

“You know that’s not true.”

I didn’t know what he meant, but for some reason that shut me up.

Sasuke went back inside, lying on his futon without another word.

Watching him, my heart ached. ‘He’s my best friend,’ I thought. ‘Konoha needs him.’

But none of that seemed quite right.

_“Wake up!”_

My eyes snapped open.

Sasuke’s futon was already folded beside mine. I could hear movement in the kitchen, and got up to investigate.

The girls were making breakfast, while Sasuke seemed to be holding court with the kids. Boruto was hanging off of his arm, staring up at him adoringly. Himawari was touching his hair. Sarada sat back from it all, but she seemed pleased.

“Hey, guys,” I said, scratching at my hair and yawning.

“Dad, did you know?!” Boruto exclaimed. “Sasuke-sensei was telling us about the time he went to the Village of the Hidden Mist, and there were these bad guys, like ten or a hundred or whatever, and he-”

“He’s very pretty,” Himawari commented over her brother’s rambling. “Daddy, why don’t you grow your hair long?”

“Because manly men have short hair,” I said, patting Himawari on the head before pressing a kiss to Hinata’s cheek.

“And then he used his sword and cut down the third guy and-” Boruto continued on in his praises of Sasuke.

Sasuke and I didn’t speak.

Even as he was walking out the gate of Konoha, with the children waving and Sakura’s eyes tearing up, I just stared at his retreating back without saying a word.

This was the way it had to be.

I went home to my family.

The next day, I sat at my desk with Himawari in my lap, stamping budget reports. Boruto was wearing my hat, practicing taijutsu in the corner, while Hinata sat in the chair across from my desk, knitting.

It was everything I’d ever wanted. A family of my own. Love. Respect. To be the freaking hokage. My life was perfect.

_“WAKE UP!”_

“I am awake…” I said.

Hinata glanced up at me, smiling warmly. “Did you say something?”

I squinted at her. “Did you say something?”

“No…?” she said, smiling in confusion.

_“WAKE UP!”_

“I don’t… understand…” I said, touching a hand to my stomach. It was burning hot. “Kurama…?” I said slowly. When was the last time I had talked to him? When was the last time… where was he, anyway?

“Daddy, look!” Himawari said, turning to me with a grin as she pointed to the picture of a flower she’d drawn.

“That’s gorgeous, sweetheart,” I said, patting the top of her head and turning back to my paperwork.

_“WAKE UP!”_

Had I… what was I doing? Where was I? The room was wavering with that shimmer that seemed to hang over everything when a genjutsu was cast.

“Daddy?” Himawari said, but it sounded like she was talking underwater.

“Naruto-kun?” Hinata asked, her voice having the same fuzzy quality.

“Look, Dad!” Boruto called, trying to get my attention.

Everything was perfect. There was no reason to ruin everything. This is how the world was supposed to be.

Except…

“USURATONKACHI!”

“Sasuke,” I breathed, feeling my office slowly fading into darkness.

“Naruto-kun!”

“Daddy!”

I gasped.

“Wake up, stupid.”

“I think he’s coming to.”

I felt a sharp sting on my cheek. Then I felt a horrible pain flare through my bad arm. I screamed, quickly focusing back on my office.

“No, no way, not this time, Naruto,” Kurama growled at me. “You have to wake up. There’s no more time.”

“Should I hit him again?” Sasuke asked.

“Yeah, give him a real good slap.”

Another hit stung across my cheek.

Hinata, Boruto, and Himawari were broken into pieces, scattering in the wind.

I screamed again, my heart breaking.

“God, you’re such a fucking baby,” Sasuke muttered. “Can’t I just pull him out?”

“Not until he’s fully awake,” Kurama cautioned him.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up,” Sasuke said, punctuating each word with a slap to my cheek.

I groaned, letting my eyes flutter open.

“Finally!” Sasuke hissed, leaning into my vision.

I realized that I couldn’t move. I stared at Sasuke, feeling panic well up inside of me.

“Hey,” he said softly, resting his hand on my head. “I know it hurts, but you’re going to have to bear with it.”

“Sasuke?” I croaked out, my throat dry and blistered.

“I’m here,” he said, then cringed, pulling his hand away from me. He was so pale, his entire body heaving with every breath.

“What’s going on?” I whispered, the words ravaging my throat.

“I’m going to pull you down from there,” Sasuke said, taking a deep breath and slowly relaxing. He looked just like he did when we were seventeen, only with a terrible, patchy beard.

“Where am I?”

“Don’t worry, Naruto,” Kurama said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Where’s Hinata?” I asked. “Where’s Boruto? Himawari?”

“This is going to hurt even more, so try not to cry,” Sasuke said, coming back into my line of vision.

“Like I’d cry,” I hissed at him, but the pain in my arm was already pretty overwhelming.

“Then what’s that water coming out of your eyes?” Sasuke asked snidely.

I glowered at him, but I knew what he was doing. I tried to focus on being angry instead of the overwhelming loss inside of me.

Sasuke started yanking at whatever was holding me suspended in the air, and I felt horrible pinpricks all over my body.

“Bastard!” I yelled, but Sasuke just continued pulling. He knew I wasn’t really yelling at him. I screamed as many curses and insults as my addled mind could think of, trying to hold myself together.

Sweat started to bead on Sasuke’s forehead. He was so pale, the color drained completely out of his face, and every movement seemed like a struggle. He gave a hard tug and I suddenly found myself falling.

When the world stopped spinning, I tried to sit up, but my body felt too weak.

“Sasuke?” I called, my voice still barely above a whisper.

Sasuke didn’t answer.

“He’s in rough shape,” Kurama warned me.

‘What’s happening?’ I asked in my head. But I already knew.

“Sorry, kid,” Kurama murmured.

I rolled onto my stomach and crawled over to Sasuke, who was lying on the ground passed out. He looked exactly like he looked when he was seventeen because he was seventeen.

The last twenty years of my life were starting to fade away like they’d never existed.

They had never existed.

I looked up at the God Tree, staring at the endless dangling figures trapped in its roots. I could feel the pull of the moon, urging me to look up into the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

I looked at Sasuke instead.

“Hang in there,” I whispered, touching his cheek.

Sasuke didn’t move.

“We’ll get out of this somehow, I promise,” I said. “That’s my ninja way.”

I thought about three 12-year-old kids sitting on a rooftop. One wanted to be hokage, one wanted to resurrect his clan, and one wanted to marry the man she loved. The Infinite Tsukuyomi made all those dreams come true. Everyone had been happy. Everything had been perfect.

But… why did Sakura seem so lonely?

And why did Sasuke seem so full of unresolved pain?

And why did I… actually… hate… being the hokage…?

Manufactured happiness wasn’t happiness at all.

But I had a second chance now. We all did. We could start over. If only…

“Sasuke, don’t die,” I whispered, but I could see his breath getting shallower and shallower.

“Naruto, stay with me…” Kurama growled.

“I’m… trying…” I said, but everything around me was getting so fuzzy. I felt something creeping along my leg, and kicked at the root helplessly.

“Naruto…”

“I’ll… save… every… o…”

Everything went black.


End file.
